Rochling Glastic Composites and Mar-Bal, Inc. Establish a Strategic Global Manufacturing Alliance

CLEVELAND, April 12, 2012 /PRNewswire/ -- Rochling Glastic Composites, a global leader in engineered composite solutions and Mar-Bal, Inc., a leader in the thermoset industry and innovative solutions provider, today announced that they have entered into a strategic alliance for the long-term production of Electrical Standoff Insulators.

Rochling, the world's largest provider of thermoplastic and thermoset stock products, sheets, shapes, materials and custom pultrusion capabilities has provided technical expertise and engineering for over 95 years in the plastics industry. Rochling-Glastic products and capabilities are available throughout the world through a network of subsidiaries and authorized distributors and fabricators.

Mar-Bal, Inc. is a full service provider of thermoset composites with product engineering design, material formulation and compounding, molding and finishing capabilities. With a complete line of UL® Classified Standoff Insulators utilized by leading Electrical OEMs, Transformer manufacturers and electrical distributors, Mar-Bal, Inc. is the largest manufacturer of Electrical Standoff Insulators in North America.

"When we started the process of evaluating alternatives for our Standoff Insulator manufacturing, we were immediately led to Mar-Bal's vertically-integrated manufacturing strengths," said Darren Keegan, Managing Director of Rochling Glastic Composites. "We are excited about this manufacturing alliance as it is in line with our principles to deliver high quality and on time delivery to our global customers."

Mar-Bal, Inc. and Rochling Glastic Composites have teamed up to use their mutual synergies in material development, insulator design, manufacturing and distribution. Mar-Bal, Inc. will produce and distribute the Glastic Standoff Insulator product line. The two companies' Engineering Groups have collaborated with Underwriter's Laboratories (UL) to confirm that the certification has been updated with regards to the UL File.

As part of the agreement, Mar-Bal, Inc. assumes the UL® Listing and the overall production management for the Glastic standoff insulators product line as well as the Customer Service support of Rochling-Glastic insulator customers. Both Mar-Bal, Inc. and Rochling-Glastic are committed to make the transition as seamless as possible.

"Mar-Bal is very enthusiastic to work under this significant strategic relationship with leading composite supplier Rochling-Glastic," said Scott Balogh, President and CEO of Mar-Bal, Inc. "With the updated infrastructures, the global electrical market is anticipated to grow over the next few years and the distribution strengths of Rochling-Glastic combined with our lean manufacturing platform, this alliance is positioned for immediate and long-term success."

About Rochling Glastic Composites

Rochling Glastic Composites, headquartered in Cleveland, Ohio, is part of The Rochling Group, (Business Unit Composites) a worldwide operating plastics group with approx. 6,600 employees at 56 locations in 20 countries, stands for proficiency in plastics. Its two divisions, High-Performance Plastics and Automotive Plastics, concentrate on processing quality plastics into semi-finished products, components and systems for a wide range of industrial uses.

www.glastic.com

About Mar-Bal, Inc.

Mar-Bal, Inc., headquartered in Chagrin Falls, OH, is a compounder and molder of Thermoset composite products. Since 1970, Mar-Bal has engineered and manufactured quality, customized materials and parts while delivering unmatched client cost-effectiveness through superior customer service and commitment to the total value. Mar-Bal serves the appliance, electrical and industrial marketplaces from their four facilities in North America. Mar-Bal, an ISO 9001:2008 Registered Company, continues to develop innovative products and has a portfolio of brands and proprietary products.

www.mar-bal.com

Corporate portrait

The globally operating Rochling Group stands for competence in plastics with more than 6,600 on the payroll at 56 locations in 20 countries. With their two divisions High-Performance Plastics and Automotive Plastics, the company focusses on processing high-grade plastics to fabricate semi-finished products, parts and systems for a host of industrial applications.

Rochling stands for innovative products and cutting-edge process technology in processing technical plastics.

The High-Performance Plastics division - which the Rochling Glastic Composites also belongs to - has a product spectrum ranging from semi-finished products, such as sheets, rods, tubes and plates, profiles and casted parts right up to machined finished components.

The Automotive Plastics division supplies automotive manufacturers and system suppliers throughout the world with technologically sophisticated plastic applications used to solve the ongoing challenges of the automotive industry: Cutting down on costs, weight, consumption and emissions.

www.roechling.com

SOURCE Mar-Bal, Inc.